Admissions

How to Apply

Applicants must visit the Office of Graduate Admissions for the main application form and information. This page provides supplementary information and application forms for students applying to our program, MS Mathematics with Option in Mathematical Finance, code 16643.

Notes:

If you wish to apply to the program, PhD Mathematics (code 16640), and are interested in Mathematical Finance as a research area, or apply to the program, MS Mathematics with Traditional Mathematics Option (code 16640), you must visit the Graduate Program in Mathematics for application information: their admission requirements differ from ours and their application process is separate. Applicants to the PhD Mathematics program who are interested in mathematical finance are encouraged to contact the Director of the Mathematical Finance Master's degree program for an overview of mathematical finance research activities at Rutgers and provide notification of their application.

Required Application Materials

Please read the description of each item carefully and submit all materials requested:

Office of Graduate Admissions application form (online only)

Application fee (online only)

Supporting materials:

Official university transcripts (universities mail directly to Office of Graduate Admissions).

GRE test scores (ETS sends directly to Rutgers). Please note, GMAT scores will not be acceptedYou may request a GRE waiver if you fall into one of the following categories: - Rutgers University undergraduates who have at least a 3.2 GPA in their major AND are applying for a masters degree in the same field (whether as part of an accelerated bachelors/masters, 4+1 or 3+2 program or not) AND are applying within 2 years of completing their Bachelor's degree - Applicants who already have a Master's degree in the same (or closely related) field from a university that uses English as its primary language of instruction AND have at least a 3.2 GPA (or equivalent) for their master's degree - Applicants who have at least 5 years of relevant work experience AND have an undergraduate degree from a university that uses English as its primary language of instruction OR have an advanced degree from the US (such as PhD, MD, or MBA)

Three letters of recommendation (online form email request).

Prerequisite Course Description Document - If your undergraduate degree is not from a university or college in the United States or Canada you must include an additional word document with your application materials. Please consult our Prerequisite Course Description List Instructions for an explanation of what information to include in this document showing that you will have completed the equivalent of our prerequisite courses before graduation from your current university.

Personal statement (online only and at same time as main application).

Do not submit copies of certificates or degrees or diplomas, secondary or high school information, sample papers or articles or books, or any other material not explicitly requested; they will be discarded.

Do provide an email address valid through September 15. Applications without email addresses cannot be processed.

International applicants who are notified that they have been recommended by our program for admission to the Graduate School–New Brunswick will need to submit financial documentation indicating sufficient funds to support their plan of study before they are offered admission by the Graduate School–New Brunswick and visa applications processed.

Decisions cannot be rendered on incomplete applications. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all required documents are available for review by the deadline. Please contact Graduate Admissions for application decision status or to check that your application is complete (except for receipt of Supplementary Form or Prerequisite Course Description List). Please consult the Graduate Admissions FAQ for solutions to common application problems.

Notification of Admission Committee Decision

Successful applicants will receive a Recommendation for Admission from the Mathematical Finance Program by email and an official offer of admission (domestic students) or request for financial documentation (international students) from the Graduate School-New Brunswick. Because communication between our program and applicants is now exclusively by email.

See the section Apply - Three Easy Steps for instructions on completing the online application form. Enter Mathematics for "Program Name", enter 16643 for "Program Code", and check "M.S." for the desired degree; in your "Personal Statement" (see below), state that you are applying for the Option in Mathematical Finance. Students are only admitted for the Fall semester. Return to top of page.

Arrange for one official copy of your transcripts from all post-high school (post-secondary school) colleges or universities attended (including Rutgers) to be sent directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions. Your university may provide you with transcripts in a sealed envelope to enclose with your application or send them directly to Rutgers at your request. Transcripts received opened are not official and will not be used in the review process. If you are admitted, you will be asked to provide a final official trasncript reflecting your completed degree.

All test scores must be submitted directly by ETS to the Office of Graduate Admissions on request of the applicant. Self-reported test scores, including copies of ETS reports mailed to students, will not be used for evaluating an application for admission.

GRE

All applicants are required to submit GRE general test scores. We do not accept any other test scores (such as the GMAT) in place of the GRE. The test may be taken no more than five (5) years prior to the application deadline. We do not have minimum test scores, as we consider the overall strength of an applicant's credentials, but we prefer the quantitative score to be 165 or above and verbal score to be 154 or above . Subject test scores are not required, although they can submitted if available.

If a GRE test will not be administered in your location in time for us to receive a test score prior to the deadline, please consult the FAQ for instructions.

TOEFL

International applicants whose first language is not English and who have not recently completed a degree requiring two or more years of study in an English-speaking country must take the TOEFL. Applicants who have completed a four-year bachelor's degree or a two-year graduate program in the U.S. or at an institution where English is the language of instruction are not required to take the TOEFL.

We prefer TOEFL scores to be above the following levels: 213 for the computer version, 550 for the paper version, and 83 for the internet version with 22 for writing, 23 for speaking, 21 for reading and 17 for listening. The TOEFL score may be no more then two years old. Minimum TOEFL score requirements are occasionally waived in exchange for a commitment from the applicant to take English as a Second Language (ESL) courses at Rutgers or prior to admission.

IELTS

Current or former university instructors familiar with your academic performance in prerequisite courses should write your recommendations; letters from current employers or managers are rarely useful. Your recommendations should directly address your suitability for admission to the Mathematical Finance program, including your quantitative and analytic strengths and weaknesses, communication skills (in English), maturity and focus, and potential for future excellence. The most helpful letters give specific examples of the writer's direct observation of the applicant's accomplishments during class or office hours and avoid merely describing the applicant in positive but vague terms. Here is a recommendation letter form (pdf), if you forget to request recommendation letters by email when completing the online application.

Your personal statement should be concise, two (2) pages maximum, with one (1) page preferred. This is not an essay. Please explain in simple, plain language why you are interested in pursuing a degree in Mathematical Finance, describe any current or past employment or internship in the financial industry, what type of career you plan to pursue upon graduation, and how our degree program will help you achieve your career goals.

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